What do readers think of When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi Lee? Write your own review.

An amazing, challenging, violent, addicting read. At times I slogged through what seemed like never ending pages only to then fly through pages on the winds. Wen-Yi Lee has constructed a world of realism and fantasy all within 1972 Singapore. Gangs and gods. Vengeance and alliance. Traditional and futuristic. Bloody and burning. At times I wanted to just not continue but then another hook would appear to keep me reading. I don't think I really liked the main character, Adeline, and I often forgot she was just a 16 year old girl. She is tough, angry, and a loose cannon. But she was the perfect character to put in this novel along with all the others. Not one character in this book is nice. A novel definitely not for the faint of heart and can be disturbing on many levels. All in all, I am glad I stuck it out to the end, No pretty bow, but an ending befitting the novel.

If you like historical fiction mixed with fantasy, you will love this book. The characters really spoke to me. The storyline was very well written and so addictive. Definitely will read more from this author!!

I'm a fan of paranormal fantasy, but I found this book leading me down dark roads I've never been on before. I was drawn into a world of people with different talents and gifts. It is a world of destruction. Fans of the TV show "Supernatural" will enjoy this book. Wen-Yi Lee did not "keep it small, keep it hidden".

When They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-Yi Lee is a harrowing tale of a Singaporean girl gang in the 1970s, the Red Butterflies. Rather than being light and elegant, these girls were the opposite of cultured ladies of the time or any time. This novel follows their fascinating journey of mysticism, bigotry and violence in the back alleys of a multicultural town. The subject was a very different one for me, and I trust it would be so for many others, as well. Regardless of the societal dysphoria portrayed, the author provided an explosive yet understandable review of life in "underground" Singapore, where abandoned and rejected young women ended up as escorts, barmaids and gang members. Whether you approve of their chosen lifestyle or not, you have to admire their tenacity in not only surviving, but for some girls, actually thriving in this milieu. I would recommend it as an honest study of the unseemly underbelly that exists in all towns and cities of the world.

It's 1972 and Singapore has been a nation for 7 years. Inside, Chinatown is at war. A multitude of gangs with strong gods, vie for power using magic derived from their tattoos. Adeline is a 16 year old girl, somewhat of an outcast who can produce fire from her fingertips, a practice her mother has forbidden. She arrives home one day to find their home burned down and her mother dead with a red butterfly burned into her chest. She finds a girl who also has fire and discovers that her mom was the head of a gang of girls called the Red Butterflies, she was Madam Butterfly. What follows is a race to avenge her mother's death and ultimately avenge the death of girls misused and mutilated by other gangs. It's a story of heartache, death, revenge, pain but also a story of love and redemption. I don't usually read books of fantasy and magic but it's a powerful story. While reading it's essential to keep a pen and paper handy as the gangs and gang member names can be difficult and confusing to keep track of.

First of all, this cover is stunning! I did, however, find the writing a bit challenging to get into. The style of the prose was not succinct.

Set in Singapore in 1972, the author plunges us into a world where Chinese secret societies guard the last pockets of unsanctioned magic. We first meet 17-year-old Adeline Siow, a loner who discovers she can summon flame literally at her fingertips. After her mother dies in a house fire, leaving a butterfly-shaped burn scar on Adeline's skin, she tracks down a mysterious girl with a butterfly tattoo, Ang, and finds herself drawn into the clandestine world of the Red Butterfly gang, sworn to a fire goddess and fueled by vengeance. As Adeline searches for her mother's murderer and navigates a dangerous succession crisis within the gang, she also becomes entangled in a slowly burning romance with Ang, just as rival gangs close in and bodies start appearing, marked by a chilling new magic that threatens everything.

In my head I was imagining an all female version of 'West Side Story', as the two rival gangs battled over access to this unique magic.

However, this is a slow burn and the plot drags a bit. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, but often stilted and overly descriptive. I wanted something to happen sooner. There were also lots of characters tossed around so it was sometimes challenging to determine who was on which side, and who was doing what to whom.

Other than that, I would say it was a lush, evocative, historical mystery that does a good job depicting the events of the time with a bit of magical realism thrown in.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I loved the worldbuilding, but the middle section of the book felt very aimless. I ended up DNF this one, but I would love to know if the plot ever picked up steam in the final third.

Somehow, I didn't identify with the characters in this book. Maybe it was because my knowledge of Singapore was limited. I can appreciate the role the various gangs played in the story. Having the butterfly burned seemed to be part of what happened when gangs began usurping power. The butterfly tattoo was almost a character in the story in the story. It had its effects. The girls with the butterfly were loyal to each other which is commended.